The mayor of Teguise and parliamentary deputy for Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, has appealed to citizen responsibility after the "legal limbo in which Spain, and the Canary Islands, is immersed, after the end of the state of alarm on May 9."
“It is not a political issue, this is a matter of life or death, of deep crisis or recovery, of depression or hope for the future. Let's do it for a new economic landscape for Lanzarote, without forgetting the victims, our elders, the health workers, those who have suffered the worst of the economic debacle,” said Betancort, lamenting “the governmental and legal chaos in the face of de-escalation, in the face of which we must continue to demonstrate that the collective and individual sacrifice that the people of Lanzarote have made so far will be worth it to achieve a safe return to normality, while group immunity against the coronavirus arrives.”
“It is discouraging and I understand the population, because this was coming, and we are suffering from an uncertainty resulting from improvisation and lack of planning and information throughout the pandemic and, now, from a terrible management of a de-escalation at the level of a community that depends on Covid data to be on the green list of tourist destinations and be able to start to recover its main industry,” adds Betancort, giving as an example “the brutal rebound in reservations in countries such as Portugal, included as a safe destination by the United Kingdom.”
“In a few weeks we will enter the summer season, and although unfortunately none of the objectives set by the Government of Spain or the Canarian Executive have been met - neither in vaccination rates nor in incidence data - we appeal to common sense and responsibility”, he insisted, regretting that “the rate of vaccination in this autonomous community, which depends on tourism, is not what was expected or announced by the President of the Government of the Canary Islands, who said that no later than June, 70% of the population of the Canary Islands would be vaccinated.”
“While some are looking for a solution that ends legal uncertainty, while some continue to play politics with an unprecedented health, economic and social crisis, I would at least like to convey to the regional government that citizens, the self-employed and private institutions of Lanzarote, as well as the local public administration, have felt abandoned... that is how we have experienced it from the City Council and that is how they have conveyed it to us from all areas. The lack of foresight, coordination, and if you press me, the lack of sensitivity and empathy, have been, at the very least, reprehensible.”
The de-escalation in Teguise
“Teguise's commitment has been and will continue to be, first of all, the continuous reinforcement of social services to serve the citizens who need it most, but we will also continue investing in employment and well-being, betting on a return to normality and a responsible de-escalation, with support for educational centers, with the opening of sports facilities, with commercial and cultural revitalization, and with activities for our elders in Teguise,” says the mayor.
“For all this - says Betancort - from the City Council, and in collaboration with the municipal technicians, the Local Police of Teguise, Civil Guard, Civil Protection Teguise, Emerlan and all the Security and Emergency personnel of Lanzarote, we have implemented the security measures recommended by Public Health so that, despite this legal limbo, our citizens can move freely but with all the guarantees and that no one forgets the titanic effort of the health professionals. So much work and so much emotional exhaustion of thousands of people who have gone through the worst moment of their lives cannot fall on deaf ears.”
Oswaldo Betancort concludes by wishing that “despite the end of the restrictions, both in Teguise and in the rest of the island, common sense and citizen responsibility, both collective and individual, will prevail", and has already asked for "all respect for the work of the Security Forces, who watch over our integrity, as well as for the entire health sector, which continues to fight to save lives.”
